My new picture book featuring five little piggies and one very big surprise comes out in hardcover and ebook on April 16, 2018. Watch Out for Wolf!is illustrated by the wonderful Charles Santoso. To learn more about the book, click here.

I’m excited to be part of the second annual Shreve Memorial Library Children’s Book Festival in Shreveport, Louisiana on Saturday, May 4. Join me and several other children’s book creators on the Southwest greens of the Louisiana State University at Shreveport campus from 10am to 4pm, for a day of bookish fun.

Join me at Dorcas Library in Prospect Harbor, Maine, on Wednesday, May 15, at 6pm, for an evening of talking about children’s and young adult books and their creation. This free event is open to story lovers (and creators!) of all ages.

My visit to Dorcas Library is made possible by Island Readers & Writers, an organization that connects Maine children with authors and illustrators. IRW is also coordinating and sponsoring my appearances at four Maine elementary schools the same week.

Please join me for a Watch Out for Wolf! story time at theStonington Public Library in downtown Stonington, Maine (which supplied me with many wonderful books when I was a kid!), on Saturday, August 3rd. This free, fun event is open to the public, and suitable for story lovers of all ages, especially picture-book fans.

I’m excited to join authors Sara Holland (Everless) and Laura Sebastian (Ash Princess) on the Princeton stop of their Fire & Time Tour. We’ll be at Barnes & Noble Princeton/Market Fair on Thursday, February 21, at 7pm.

February 1st is World Read Aloud Day, and I look forward to spending it sharing my love of books and writing with students in classrooms across the country. If you are a teacher or librarian and you and your students (grades K-5 or high school) would like to Skype with me for WRAD, you can reserve a 20-minute time slot here.

I look forward to sharing a stage with authors Zoraida Córdova (Bruja Born), Mia Garcia (The Resolutions), Sarah Beth Durst (Fire and Heist), Amy McNamara (A Flicker in the Clarity), Natasha Sinel (Soulstruck), Jessica Blank (Legacy), and moderator David Levithan (Every Day) for Teen Author Reading Night at the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library (on the corner of 6 Ave and 10 St in Manhattan) on Wednesday, December 5, at 6pm. I'll be reading from and talking about Always Forever Maybe.

I'm honored to be part of the amazing author lineup at the Miami Book Fair in Miami, Florida. On Sunday, November 18, I’ll be speaking about toxic relationships and traumatic events in YA, on theMy Body Is My Own: YA Women Fight Back panel with Jenny Torres Sanchez (The Fall of Innocence), Tiffany D. Jackson (Monday’s Not Coming), and Natasha Ngan (Girls Made of Paper and Fire), at 2:30pm in the MDC Live Arts Lab.

Join me and acclaimed YA authors Claire Legrand (Sawkill Girls), Tiffany D. Jackson (Monday's Not Coming), and Nova Ren Suma (A Room Away from the Wolves) at Labyrinth Books in Princeton, New Jersey, on Tuesday, October 23 at 6pm, for a conversation about the craft of writing commercially-appealing fiction with a literary bent. We will discuss our best (and worst) techniques for writing and revising, lessons pulled from working with an editor, how plot shapes character and character shapes plot, and more. Perfect for curious readers and aspiring writers of all genres.

Anderson's Bookshops present their 6th annual YAFandom Frenzy on Sunday, October 21, a day just for teens and YA authors,including author panels, signings, and more. Attendees must be 22 or younger as of 10/21/18 (exceptions: parents and educators attending with teens). Tickets are $5 each and include a $5 coupon for a same-day book purchase. For more information or to register for the event, click here. I'm excited to be part of the frenzy!

Anderson's Bookshops present their 15th Annual YA Literature Conference for authors, librarians, and educators on Saturday, October 20. I'm pleased to take part!

SATURDAY is a day just for Teachers, Librarians & Adult Fans of YA! Meet the authors, enjoy a continental breakfast and a plated lunch, hear keynote speakers, attend breakout sessions on current topics, and listen to book talks on the best in new YA. Seven professional development hours are offered to those who attend the full day. There will be opportunities to shop the conference bookstore through out the day and book signings with all the authors following the day’s events.

For more information, including a full list of participating authors, or to register, click here.

Find me on the YA Stage on Saturday, September 1 at 12:30pm, for the panel If It Ain't Love with authors Alexa Donne, Nisha Sharma, and Julian Winters (moderated by Terra Elan McVoy).

I'll also be moderating two conversations on the Children's Stage. Find me there on Saturday at 3:15pm(for the Who Am I? panel with middle-grade authors Pablo Cartaya, Henry Lien, and Stacy McAnulty) and Sunday at 12:45pm (for the You Go, Girl! panel with picture-book creators Tom Angleberger, Ebony Glenn, and Shanda McCloskey).

Please join me at NYC's McNally Jackson Books in Soho to celebrate the release of my YA debut, Always Forever Maybe, on Monday, June 11, at 7pm. Refreshments will be served, books will be sold and signed, and I'll be goshdarn excited to see you there!

My YA debut, Always Forever Maybe, a contemporary novel about obsessive teenage love, toxic masculinity, an essential friendship, and the risks we take with our hearts, will be released by HarperTeen in hardcover, audio, and ebook on June 5, 2018.

Join me on April 27 at 11am at Princeton University's Cotsen Children's Library in Princeton, New Jersey, for a special Tiger Tales story time featuring a reading of The Teacher's Pet followed by a hands-on craft project. Perfect for animal lovers ages 3 to 5.

(A)Dressing the Wound: Writing the Traumatic Event with Truth and Sensitivity (10:30am in Grand Salon B on the second floor of the Marriott Waterside, March 8), with authors Bree Barton, Emily X.R. Pan, Sonia Belasco, and Terry J. Benton: Franz Kafka famously said we ought to “read only the kind of books that wound or stab us.” But Kafka was coming from a place of privilege—and he wasn’t writing for young adults. How do you write the reality of rape, suicide, police brutality, and violence without re-traumatizing young readers? And how do you plumb the depths of your personal traumas while also taking care of yourself emotionally? In this panel, five YA authors talk about how and why they write traumatic events into their novels.

From Best Friends Forever to Toxic Bonds: Digging Deep into Complex Female Friendships in Young Adult Literature (3pm in Meeting Room 1 on the second floor of the Marriott Waterside, March 8), with authors Amy Reed, Marcy Beller Paul, Sarah Nicole Smetana, and Kit Frick: Five YA authors from debut to established discuss the complex, three-dimensional friendships that populate their work: Blurred boundaries between friendship and obsession; shattered friend groups; lasting friendships tested by difficult new relationships; girls from diverse backgrounds uniting to fight misogynist culture. Panelists discuss one another's work and the choices that have inspired theirs when writing fiercely good and withstanding to fiercely fraught and destructive teen friendships.

For more information about the 2018 AWP Conference, or to register, click here.

Join me at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's annual Ghouls & Gourds Festivalon Saturday, October 28, in Brooklyn, New York. I'll be one of the authors and illustrators hanging out at the festival's Book Barn from noon to four. We'll talk, sign books, and give short readings to visitors both in and out of costume. My reading is at 12:30pm, so swing by Author Avenue then to hear and see The Teacher's Pet!

Join me and many other children's book creators at the 12th annual Princeton Children's Book Festival at the Princeton Public Library and Albert E. Hines Memorial Plaza in Princeton, New Jersey, on Saturday, September 23rd, from 11am to 4pm.

I'll be reading (and signing!) The Teacher's Pet at the Brooklyn Book Festival on Children's Day (Saturday, September 16) at 11:30am on the Picture Book Stage at MetroTech Commons in downtown Brooklyn, New York. To learn more about the Brooklyn Book Festival, and for a full list of authors and events, click here.

Join Mr. Stricter, Bruno, and me for The Teacher's Petstory time at Community Bookstore in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Sunday, September 10th at 11am. Community Bookstore was my neighborhood book shop for more than 13 years, so I'm excited to return "home" for this special story time event!

Authors Sara Holland (Everless), Laura Sebastian (Ash Princess), and I discussed world building, writing habits, intense female friendships, tropes embraced or avoided, surprises in drafting, what we read while we’re writing, and more, on the Princeton stop of their Fire & Time Tour at Barnes & Noble Princeton/Market Fair.

2/1/2019 WORLD READ ALOUD DAY (Reading/Q&A)

Arugula and I had a great time sharing our love of books and reading with ten schools around the country on World Read Aloud Day. (If you're interested in having me Skype with your school or library someday, I would be delighted to do so. Please see the School & Skype Visits page for more information, and be in touch!)

12/5/2018 TEEN AUTHOR READING NIGHT (Reading/Panel)

It was a treat sharing a stage with authors Zoraida Córdova (Bruja Born), Mia Garcia (The Resolutions), Sarah Beth Durst (Fire and Heist), Amy McNamara (A Flicker in the Clarity), Natasha Sinel (Soulstruck), Jessica Blank (Legacy), and moderator David Levithan (Every Day) for Teen Author Reading Night at the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library in New York, New York. I read from and talked about Always Forever Maybe.

It was an honor being part of the amazing author lineup at the Miami Book Fair in Miami, Florida, and speaking about toxic relationships and traumatic events in YA on the My Body Is My Own: YA Women Fight Back panel with Jenny Torres Sanchez (The Fall of Innocence), Tiffany D. Jackson (Monday’s Not Coming), and Natasha Ngan (Girls Made of Paper and Fire).

Authors Claire Legrand (Sawkill Girls), Tiffany D. Jackson (Monday's Not Coming), Nova Ren Suma (A Room Away from the Wolves), and I gathered at Labyrinth Books in Princeton, New Jersey, for a conversation about craft and process. We discussed our best (and worst) techniques for writing and revising, lessons pulled from working with an editor, how plot shapes character and character shapes plot, and more.

I spoke about Always Forever Maybe and writing about obsessive love on the YA Stage at the Decatur Book Festival on the panel If It Ain't Love with authors Alexa Donne, Nisha Sharma, and Julian Winters (moderated by Terra Elan McVoy). I also got to moderate two conversations on the Children's Stage: the Who Am I? panel with middle-grade authors Pablo Cartaya, Henry Lien, and Stacy McAnulty, and the You Go, Girl! panel with picture-book creators Tom Angleberger, Ebony Glenn, and Shanda McCloskey.

I had a blast at Princeton Public Library's Teen Book Bash in Princeton, New Jersey, where I spoke about Always Forever Maybe on a panel with authors Claire Legrand, Emily X.R. Pan, Nisha Sharma, Cordelia Jensen, and Laurie Morrison, moderated by Megan McCafferty. After the panel, there was an after-hour pizza party for teens and authors, at which my team, Team Jalenj, won the book trivia contest, right before a rousing game of Sardines.

I was blown away by all the love from all the friends who came to McNally Jackson Books in Soho to celebrate the release of my YA debut, Always Forever Maybe. I talked about the book's origins, read chapter seven, answered some fantastic audience questions, and delighted in sharing cupcakes, prosecco, and cheese with all who came (and signing books!).

I was delighted to spend the day signing and talking about books at the 12th annual Princeton Children's Book Festival in Princeton, New Jersey, surrounded by more than 80 other children's book creators—and lots and lots of readers!

I had a great time talking about picture books and pets with Philip C. Stead, Matthew Cordell, and moderator Laurel Snyder on the Go for the Goldfish panel at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, Georgia. I also got to moderate three terrific panels featuring Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham, Victoria Jamieson, Gwenda Bond, Christopher Rowe, Deron Hicks, Kate Milford, Peter H. Reynolds, and Judy Schachner.

I was thrilled to join the fun at nErDcampMI, an education conference—and (un)conference—with a focus on literacy and learning in Parma, Michigan. As one of more than 50 authors and illustrators on the Nerd Camp faculty, I co-led a session with Erin Soderberg Downing (author of Moon Shadow, the Puppy Pirates series, and more) on "Building and Creating Stories Together: Applying Lessons from the Author-Editor Relationship to the Classroom."

I was pleased to join my fellow book nerds at nErD Camp NJ, a literacy-focused EdCamp "un-conference" and free event for educators, authors, and illustrators, held in Chatham, New Jersey. I spoke on two panels, "Helping Students Develop Great Characters in Fiction" and "Building Empathy and Deepening Relationships with Students through Literature," and co-led a workshop with authors Lauren Magaziner and Rebecca Behrens on "Ideas and Inspiration: Tricks and Tips to Get Students Writing."

Anna, Banana, (and Arugula!) and I were pleased to spend World Read Aloud Day Skyping with students in classrooms from New Jersey to Hawaii, and spots in between. (If you're interested in having me Skype with your school or library, I would be delighted to do so. Please visit the School Visits page for more information, and be in touch!)

I joined my fellow book nerds at the first annual nErD Camp Long Island, a literacy "un-conference" held in Roslyn Heights, New York, where, in addition to attending several terrific sessions, I spoke on a panel about breaking into publishing and co-led a session on revision tips and techniques with author Corey Ann Haydu.